Electric connecter for toy train tracks



ELECTRIC CONNECTER IjOR TOY TRAIN TRACKS Filed July 5, 1927 INVENTOR. flarry a [U6 5.

A TTORNEYS'.

-terminal orconnectenfa Fig. 2llsiabottom plan: vlewofsameia l v Fatented jNov. 25

HARRY c. IVES, or nitrnenronr, connncrrcu'r, memos, MESNEASSIGNMENTQ HELOTIHE IVES CORPORATIO orj'nnrnenronr, oonNEcrrIour; n conronnrron OE" "CONNECTICUT: p

Applicant -U also Jul 5,

J a The present invention relates to improve I mentsin electrical rail terminal Q1? connec tens for toy train tracks,"and particularly:

such devices for electrically connecting the powerrail, from-Whichthe toy locomotive: takes itscurrent, and the other railsupon which the locomotive Wheels are grounded Anlobject of the invention is to providefa device of this character of very simple and inexpensive construction, which may be clipped: upony'the rails in such manner as' to be firmly supported thereon, at the same time providinga positive and reliable electrical connection. A furtherobject is to providea terminal: which is free from clamps, screws, or other such movably mounted. attachment means which are subject to breakage or wear ofsuch devices. It is particularly, proposed v in the, presentembodiment, to provide: a

terminal or connecter adapted to be clipped:

upontheitwo, main railslof a toy track section,:. and includes a spring contact member;

in adapted in the attachedrelationfoftheiadew i3? vice to engage the central or power: rail; un- -derispring"pressures;

Withathe above and other objectsiin View,

an embodiment; of. the invention is shown. in,

"uresof theigdrawings. 2 a

vention will claunsw [and the; accompanying, drawings; and this :embodiment will-beherein'after more: fully de-I';

scribedwith reference thereto, and the in-i in the to Fig; 1 .istaitop: plan "View improved i *Fig; 3"israplanviewdofa piece oftoytrack, with the?" terminal :inJplacethereon.

along line 4, 4 of Figl 3. a i a 3 Fig: 5 "is a side elevation: of the terminal,

at 'Fig't 4 is :a transversesectional View taken F ig. 6.:showsaiplan amodified o'fgthe zinvention;Wig i '1 Similar reference: characters lndicatewcorrespondingaparts throughout the several fig- Referring :to: the drawings; a device is adapted, as shown in Fig; 3 to besecuredto.

Q be. finally pointedebut. in the l comprises two main raiIs lO and l l secured in spaced relatlon uponthe spacedcross ties 12 by means of lugs :13 formed uponthe ties, and clamping thehase portions orflanges of the rails thereto The central or power rail- 14; is secured to the cross ties byjlugs 15,

which'are insulated from the railby mean's of insulation 16. The track as shown is of a commercial type andin itself forms no part of the invention.

The terminal according to the present: embodimentof the invention, comprisesarec tangular base plate 17, formed of fibre: or other suitableinsulatingmateriah adapted to under the conditions encountered in the use form a rigidsupport, and upon the topside thereof there is provided a metal plate18,

that isjxsecured tothe plate 17 by rivets provided atitsends with upwardly offset spring clip portions adapted ,to grip the outer surfaceof theouter rail .10, and space the intermediateof the fibre plate 17 byrivets 22. andis also providedwith upwardly ofiset spring clip portions 23 adapted towgrip the outer surface of the other outer rail 11 in a mannerto hold the terminal to therails. In order to facilitate the attachment off'these clips, the porrelation with :the'other jrail ll, rivets22 alsofserves to seeure to' the under side of the base 17 one end of a metal link 24, i a y the other end"of whichis'secured andcon necte'd byarivet 25 to a terminal clip 26; mounted u on theupper sideofthebase 17 at" i its newer Theinsulative fbase '17 is centrally andl-beneatli thecentralipowerrail-14iwith a l rectangular opening 27; through which the electricficonductor for said rail is engaged. therewith: This -conductor comprises; an I L shaped-flat bar28 attachedlto the under side ofthebase lZ and secured thereto+by means of a rivet 29- 1 which also connects it with, a

e5 to.

portion of the plate from the centerfr'ail 14. A somewhat similar metal" a a a p is, l plate2 l issecured to theopposite end portion terminal clip 30 provided upon the upper side of the base 17 at its forward edge, and in spaced relation to the terminal clip 26. The bar 28 is bent upwardly at its inner end, as

J at 31, through the opening 27, and is provided with a horizontally extending end portion 32, adapted in the engaged position of the connecter to contact with the rail 14 under s ring pressure. As shown in Fig. 5, the en portion 32 is disposed above the plane of the clip portions 19 and 23 in the detached relation of the connecter, and is adapted as the connecter is clipped into place, to abut the rail 14 and spring the bar 28 away from the base plate 17 as shown in Fig. 4, so that there is at all times a positive and reliable electrical connection.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a form of terminal similar to that shown in the other figures, except that I employ a one piece metal plate 18 attached to the top side of the fibre base with rivets 19 and 22. The said metal plate 18 being provided with a centrally positioned rectangular opening which aligns with the opening 27 in the base and like said.

opening 27, serves to allow the upwardly disposed end 82 to project through the said base and plate for engagement with the third rail as in the manner of the other form. This plate 18 is further provided with spring clip portions 20 and 23 for engagement with the outer rail. It also includes a link 24 for electrically connecting the said plate with the terminal clip 26. A terminal clip 30 is likewise connected through a rivet 29 with the spring conductor bar 28. This form of clip may be used on electric toy train tracks where signals are not to be used, whereas the other form of terminal shown in 1 to 5 inclusive, is somewhat more universal in its application and may be generally employed irrespective of the use of signals.

The spring terminal clips 26 and 30 are of conventional type and are adapted to have the lead wires 33 and 34 secured therein. Obviously, binding posts or other suitable terminal means may be employed if desired.

1 have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appened claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An electrical connecter for toy railway tracks comprising a base, two attachment means carried thereby and adapted to engage the outside rails, terminal means carried by said base and electrically connected to one of said attachment means, a spring contact member carried bysaid base adapted to engage a center rail under spring pressure in the at tached relation of the base, and terminalmeans electrically connected to said spring contact means.

2. An electrical connecter for toy railway tracks comprising a base, an attachment plate secured thereon having spring clip end portions adapted to be clipped upon said rails, terminal means carried by said base and adapted to electrically connect one of said rails through one of said attachment means, a spring contact member carried by said base adapted to engage one rail under spring pressure in the attached relation of the base, and terminal means electrically connected to said spring contact means.

3. An electrical connecter for toy railway tracks having parallel spaced main rails and an intermediate power rail, comprising a base, attachment means carried thereby adapted to attachsaid base to said main rails, terminal means carried by said base and electrically connected to said attachment means, a spring contact member carried by said base adapted to engage said intermediate power rail under spring pressure in the attached relation of the base, and terminal means electrically connected to said spring contact means.

4. An electrical connecter for toy railway tracks having parallel spaced main rails and an intermediate power rail, comprising a base, an attachment plate carried thereby having spring clip ends adapted to be clipped upon said main rails, terminal means carried by said base and electrically connected to said plate, a spring contact member carried by said base adapted to engage said intermediate power rail under spring pressure in the attached relation of the'base, and terminal means electrically connected to said spring contact means.

5. An electrical connecter for toy railway trackshaving parallel spaced main rails and an intermediate power rail, comprising an insulating base having an opening substantially centrally thereof, attachment means adapted to secure said base to said rails, terminal means carried by said base and adapted to electrically connect one of said main rails through said attachment means, a spring contact member secured to the under side of said base and extending through said opening thereof, and adapted 'to engage said intermediate power rail under spring pressure in the attached relation of the-base, and terminal means electrically connected to said spring contact means. 7

. 6. An electrical connecter for'toy railway tracks having parallel spaced lnain rails and an intermediate power rail, comprising an insulting base having an opening substantially centrally thereof, an attachment plate secured at the upper side of said base having an opening registering with said opening of the base, means for securing said plate to the main rails, terminal means carried by said said main rails through said attachment plate, a spring contact member secured at the tracks having parallel spaced main rails and I sulating basehaving an openingsubstantially ing registering with said opening of thebase tosaidplate, a spring contactmember secured a j 20 at the under side of said plate, and extending a i said intermediate power rail under spring dbase and electrically connected to'said ata 'ter rail under spring pressure in the attached beneath saidbase through'anopening there- "in, and terminal means electrically connected j Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 1st 40 day of July,A. D. 1927.

base adapted to electrically connect one of 7 under side of said base, extending through said opening and adaptedto engage said intermediatera'il in the attached relation of the base, and terminal means electrically connected to said spring contact means.

7. An electrical connecter for toyrailway.

an intermediate power rail, comprising an iny centrally thereof, an attachment platesecured 1 atthe upper side of said basehavingan openandiproyided. at its ends with spring clip portions'adapted to be clipped about said main rails, terminal means electrically connected 1 through said opening and adapted to engage pressure in the attachedrelation of the base, 7 l and terminal means electrically connected to said spring contact means.

8. An electrical conneoter for toy railway tracks comprising a base, attachment means carried thereby and-adapted to engage the outside rails,iterminal means carried by said tachment means, a spring contact member carried by said base adapted to engage a cenrelation-of the base, said member'extending tosaid spring contact member. I ,SignedatBridgeport, in the county of HARRY c. IVES. 

